Beauty and The Brute
by HeartLikeIce
Summary: All Cato ever wanted was to be the victor of the 74th Hunger Games but fate has a way of changing things. This time, fate's name is Katniss Everdeen. C/K
1. Prologue

Beauty and The Brute: Prologue

**CATO**

Cato flashed an arrogant smirk to the crowd as the chariot pulling him and Clove entered the Capitol streets. Draped in silky, expensive Roman robes, he looked more god-like than ever. The enthusiastic cheers from the crowd confirmed this. Women, and even a few men, tossed roses and kisses his way, screaming his name as though he were their king.

"I bet you're just eating this up, aren't you?" Clove mocked sarcastically under her breath to him. It was true and he knew it. The tall, blonde brute lived for moments like these.

He quirked his brow at his petite district partner, "Jealous?"

She rolled her sharp green eyes in response and continued to wave gracefully to the crowd. Draped in her own Roman attire with her mousy hair in soft waves, Clove looked fairly attractive. Not nearly as noticeable as her fellow tribute, but still somewhat appealing to the eye. Cato was confident that they would cause a significant impression on the crowd.

As they entered City Circle, an explosion of cheers sounded behind them. The crowds were going insane with enthusiasm, chanting one name louder than the others.

"Katniss! Katniss!"

Rage began to build deep inside Cato's chest. They were supposed to be yelling his name. Cato, the name of a warrior. Not the name of some other stupid tribute.

He shot a glance over his shoulder to see who dare stole his glory. The bitch would be first on his hit list for the Games. His eyes settled on her, inside the chariot at the flank of the line. The female tribute's black hair was pulled away from her olive toned face in an elegant braid down her back. She stared apprehensively at the crowd around her with piercing gray eyes. Though she wasn't the most stunning woman Cato had seen before, she certainly was not lacking in appearance. But it wasn't her looks that left the biggest impression on the crowd. It was the flames that seemed to engulf her and her district partner. She wasn't some faceless tribute. She was the Girl on Fire. And she had upstaged Cato.

He clenched his fist to contain his fury, his nails digging into the hardened skin of his palms. In that moment, he decided that she would pay. This little, insignificant girl would soon learn who was the real boss of the Hunger Games. And with her dying breath, she would be pleading his name, just as the crowd was screaming hers.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: I almost never do two chapters in one day but since these are pretty short chapters, I thought I'd make an exception. Enjoy! WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SLIGHT VIOLENCE AND SEXUALITY. **

* * *

><p>Beauty and The Brute: Chapter One<p>

He was sprinting through the forest, leaves and branches whipping his exposed flesh as he ran. His weapon was held firmly in his right palm and the blood of the other tributes stained the sharp blade. They were gone now. All accept one. The Girl on Fire.

She skipped ahead of him through the trees, fearlessly dancing away from the tip of his blade. With each dodge, she laughed spitefully in his face, taunting him with her scathing grin. The girl was always just out of his reach. But Cato was not a quitter. He wouldn't stop until her blood stained his hands.

The soil grew dark and oily under his feet, which he meant that they were encroaching upon a river. His prey would be trapped, cornered with no escape. He peeled back a layer of leaves and followed her into a large clearing, eagerly anticipating the moment his blade would pierce her flesh. An unexpected sight met his eyes. Fire Girl stood waist deep in the river, every inch of her olive skin exposed. She wasn't malnourished, like the tributes from her district usually were. Cato couldn't keep his eyes from travelling down her lithe, muscular frame. She delicately lifted her palm and beckoned him forward.

A strange sensation came over his body as Cato instinctively moved forward into the creek. His mind was screaming for him to kill her, but his body would not comply. He slowly stepped into the icy waters of the stream, stopping only once her body was against his and they were wrapped up in each other. She wrapped her bare legs around his waist and began to plant kisses along his strong jaw. He groaned in satisfaction and pulled her tightly against him so that her body was molded into his.

She pressed her lips against his ear and, in a voice that could only belong to an angel, whispered, "I win."

"What?" he panted coarsely, too perplexed by the euphoria spreading through his body. He had been with many woman before but none had provoked this much desire.

"I win," she repeated boastingly. As her voice echoed in his ear, a sharp, searing pain coursed through him. Blood poured from every vein in his body and Katniss bathed in it, shrieking madly with laughter as he bled out into the river…

"CATO!"

Cato jerked awake, dripping in sweat. Clove, looking far too innocent in a frilly Capitol nightgown, stood above him with a devious smirk plastered across her face. Sometimes, he really wished he could beat some sense into that girl. Of course, the game makers would have none of that before they stepped foot in the arena. He groaned, turning and pressing his face into his pillow so he wouldn't have to face his smug friend.

"Having a pleasant dream, Cato?" Clove asked in a sing song voice.

"Fuck off," He snarled, annoyance obvious in his tone, "Or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Clove continued, hovering dangerously close to his face, "Throw a pillow at me?" she giggled madly at her own joke, "That's the most you can do without getting thrown out of the Games. And then you would miss out on your chance to face your precious Katniss in the arena-"

He narrowed his eyes at Clove, a glare any sensible person would tremble under. Clove simple responded with a sickly sweet grin. "What are you going on about?"

"Cut the bull shit, Cato," Clove said with an eye roll, "I heard you moaning that bitch's name not two seconds ago."

His reply was quick and almost too defensive, "Only because I want to see the life leave her pathetic eyes when I kill her." At least, that's what he thought he wanted before Katniss Everdeen had chosen to appear in his dreams.

"Right," Clove retorted sarcastically, "I think your-umm, little friend down there disagrees with you-" slyly glancing below his waist, where his "little friend" stood proudly just under the sheets.

"Look Cato," she continued, before he could intercede, "I don't care what lust you have for that District Twelve rat. Do what you need to do. Fuck her, for all I care. Just don't let it negatively affect our game in the Arena. Or I swear, I'll kill her before you even get the chance." She pecked him affectionately on the cheek and danced out of the room before he had the chance to swat her away.

As the door closed behind her, he thought about what she had said. Clove was right, as usual. That didn't surprise him. He had always been the brawn of their duo, just as she had always been the brain. And her words over his lust for the district twelve tribute haunted him. Ever since that moment when he first saw her on the streets of the Capitol, Katniss Everdeen had swarmed through Cato's mind like an annoying bug. But all bugs could be squashed and as sure as he would win the Hunger Games, Cato would squash Katniss.

The twitch below his waist gave him an exasperating reminder of the girl on fire. No matter, he could easily take care of it by himself. Especially with the images from his dream still in mind.


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: I tried to make this chapter a little bit longer since it took me a few days to finish it. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Beauty and the Brute: Chapter Two<p>

The training center was empty of all tributes, except for Cato. It was just him, an inventory of weapons, and a variation of targets to practice with. He stood thirty yards away from a row of targets with his preferred weapon, a long, slender blade, held firmly in his grasp.

He smirked as he watched his blade soar through the air and pierce its target dead on, wishing it were human flesh instead of a wooden dart board. In his case, perfection was the expectation. He couldn't afford to miss. With flawless accuracy, he flung the hundredth blade he had touched that day towards the only target left standing. His defined muscles still rippled with energy after the weapon left his grip.

The blade was only a few inches short of the board when a silver arrow whistled ahead of it and struck the center first, knocking the board backwards with a loud clang. Cato reeled on his feet, priming to pound whoever had interrupted his late night training session. The culprit stood near the corner of the room, bow held casually in her hand and a satisfied smile worn on her face. His hands trembled with anger as he stalked towards her, fully prepared to wipe away the girl's stupid grin.

She stared defiantly back at him in a way that reminded him of Clove, somehow managing to look down on him even though he was at least a foot taller than her.

"That was my target," he growled menacingly, causing a flicker of fear in her stormy gray eyes. The corner of his lip twitched as he held back a sneer. Her fear caused him greater pleasure than she could possibly imagine.

The fear quickly passed and her eyes were stony and cold once again as she addressed him. "Really? Is your name on it?"

Somehow, despite her biting words, Katniss' voice sounded just as angelic as it had in his dreams. Cato laughed, finding her feistiness much too amusing, and inched closer to the petite girl until she was backed against the wall.

Placing his brawny arms on either side of her, he leaned in closely and murmured coarsely into her ear, "You better watch your step, Fire Girl."

Katniss was trembling beneath him, his words making her ill at ease. Yet she still mustered the strength to glare into his teal eyes and bravely retort, "Or what?"

He hadn't expected a rebuttal, but was able to mask his emotions Instead of showing his surprise, he beamed captivatingly at her, "There are much worse things that can happen in the Arena than death, Katniss"-it was the first time he had consciously uttered her name-"much worse things." He tantalizingly brushed a stray piece of hair from her face as if to prove his point.

Her nose crinkled in aversion to his touch. She jerked her face away from him, a response he rarely received from women, and glared scathingly into his eyes. "Thanks for the warning, Cato-"her voice dripping with malice as she emphasized his name-"but I think I can take care of myself. You should be the one that's worried."

Nudging out from under his arms, Katniss practically jogged away from him. The door to the training center shut behind her, leaving Cato once again in solitude. But he was still staring after her, wondering how in God's name a simple girl from the seam could be so arousing.

A dilemma presented itself in his mind. This girl would be dead within the week, most likely by his or one of his allies' hands. He wanted to see her bleed, and to watch as the fire left her eyes. But more than anything, Cato wanted to feel her skin again, to touch her and watch her squirm underneath him. Maybe he could do both. There was two more days before the games started, which gave him two more days to get what he wanted from the Girl on Fire. If she put up a good enough fight in the arena, which was highly unlikely, perhaps he could extend the fun. Cato smirked at the thought. He always had enjoyed playing with his food before eating it.

* * *

><p>Just outside of the training room, Katniss leaned up against the wall trying to make up her mind. After the incident with Cato, she had planned on going back to the 12th floor to get us far away from the daunting Career tribute as possible. Then, she remembered that a drunken Haymitch, careless Effie, and brooding Peeta awaited her on her floor. They were all too much to handle at once, especially after she had spent an entire day performing useless tasks in the training room. She couldn't step foot back in the training center. Not with Cato there, waiting to devour her like the monster he was. It seemed that her bravery had been used up enough that day.<p>

Katniss sent a fleeting glance at the entrance to the training center before heading down the hall for the elevator. She began to reach for the button that would lead her back to her quarters when she noticed a blank button just beneath. Deciding that she had time to spare and nothing better to do, Katniss pressed her thumb down on the thirteenth button. It led her one floor above the District 12 apartments to the roof of the building.

As soon as she stepped foot out under the night sky, Katniss instantly felt better. Although the stars weren't as visible as they were in District 12, they still shown brilliantly in the sky. Below her, the Capitol stretched on for miles. The city lights illuminated the night. Blaring music and a multitude of voices echoed from the streets below.

_A city that never sleeps_, Katniss thought disdainfully to herself.

"Well, well, look what we have here."

Katniss closed her eyes and inwardly groaned. The brute from District 2 had managed to end up alone in the same place with her once again, all in the short span of an hour. This night could not get any worse. She turned to find Cato leaning casually against the wall, flashing his flawless white teeth to her in a cocky grin.

"We really need to stop meeting like this," he added in a mocking voice, knowing it would get under her skin.

Katniss managed to find her voice. "Stalking me, Two? Who would've thought a Career would sink so low."

"Who would've thought a girl from the Seam would be so damn hot?" he fired back.

Her words froze on her tongue. She certainly hadn't been expecting that. Cato had rendered her speechless, and he now had the upper hand. If these encounters were going to become a daily occurrence, she really needed to step up her game. Before she could procure a witty comeback, Cato was pacing towards her. In three short strides, he pulled her into his arms and forced his lips onto hers.

Katniss felt like she had been stung by a trackerjacker. Her thoughts were scrambled and she couldn't sense of anything. All she knew, all she felt, was Cato's tongue in her mouth and those hands that looked like they could crush skulls were wrapped around her body, caressing her in places she had never been touched before. And the most disjointed feeling of all was that she liked it. Her body craved more. Suddenly, she came to her senses and the world around her was clear again.

With more strength than she knew she possessed, Katniss pulled away from Cato and whipped her hand across his face. The slap made a stinging noise and left a red print across Cato's face. Before he had time to react, she sprinted back to the safety of the elevator. It was the second time Katniss had run away from Cato and it wouldn't be the last.


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: Here it is! Thanks to all my reviewers, you guys keep me going! Also, let me know in a review if you'd like me to keep the story centered on only Cato/Katniss or if you'd like a few side flings between other tributes as well. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Beauty and The Brute: Chapter Three<p>

The District 2 apartments were comfortably silent until Cato stormed in. Gloria, Cato and Clove's overly enthusiastic escort, and Brutus, their mentor, were out rallying sponsors before the games had even started. Clove was resting on the couch, twirling a pocket-knife in her fingers and imagining the feeling of it ripping through human flesh, when the sound of glass shattering against the wall interrupted her musings.

"I'm going to kill that insolent little bitch-"

Another vase hit the wall and shattered into millions of jagged edges.

Clove sighed in annoyance. Cato could be such a drama queen sometimes.

"Aw, did wittle baby Cato get his feelings hurt by the big bad Fire Skank?" she mocked, hardly bothering to glance at her enraged district partner. She knew this would only increase his agitation; Cato hated being ignored.

A hand that could probably crush rocks into dust roughly grasped her pointy chin and forced her to look at him, face to face. She choked back an amused snort. Marring the pale, flawless skin of Cato's cheek was the red outline of slender fingers. Clove didn't need to guess who they belonged to.

"Whoa…Didn't know the little rat had it in her," she admitted, carelessly swiping her fingers over the enflamed skin, "Looks like 12's got themselves a real spitfire this year!"

"Shut the fuck up Clove!" Cato snapped, roughly releasing her face from his hand and yanking the pocket knife from her grasp. He hurled the knife at an Avox, who had been standing silently in the corner and fortunately had enough sense to duck away from the sharp weapon. "I swear, the minute we step foot in that arena I'm going to find her and-"

"And what?" Clove urged, "Fuck her to death?"

Cato chuckled darkly, "That doesn't sound like a bad idea…"

She scoffed in disgust. "Always thinking with your dick. You know these are the Hunger Games, right? The ones you've been training for since you were five? Weak, sentimental thoughts over some ugly rat from the Seam are only going to distract you."

"I won't be distracted!" Cato roared, causing the Avox sweeping up the shattered vase to jump slightly. Clove didn't even twitch.

"Oh really? The Cato I know would never, never let some silly girl get away with so much as touching him. You're a Career, not some lovesick puppy dog-"

A deadly silence engulfed the room. Cato's fists were clenched tightly, and for a moment Clove thought she would have to make a quick escape to her room before he beat her to a bloody pulp. Instead, Cato responded in a flat, emotionless voice. "I'll show you," he whispered, "I'll show her, I'll show everyone. This is what I was made for."

Clove reached out and took his hand, smiling adoringly at him, "There's my Cato."

* * *

><p>Katniss moaned in relief as the warm water poured from the shower head and washed over her sore muscles. Heating water took too much time in the morning, so she rarely had hot baths back home. This was one of the few pleasures of the Capitol that she actually enjoyed, other than the lamb stew.<p>

There was a knock on the door and then Effie's annoyingly perky voice calling for her. "Katniss! Hurry along now, dear, we have another big, big day ahead of us!"

Every day was a big, big day in the Capitol.

She climbed out of the shower, hastily drying herself with a towel, and threw on her training suit. She didn't have time to manage her damp, tangled her so she threw it in ponytail and rushed out of the bathroom to join Peeta and their team.

Effie ushered them to the elevator quickly, chastising Katnisss along the way about making them late once again. All of the other tributes are already at the different stations, fine-tuning their skills before their private sessions with the Gamemakers.

Katniss sends a longing glance at the archery station, where the District 1 girl tribute was unsteadily shooting arrows at a large dummy. She barely missed the red painted target on its chest each time.

_Steady the bow. Hold it higher. Pull the string back further. _Katniss' mind silently repeated the mantra of instructions. If only the girl could hear her. The arrow shot from the slightly quivering bow and hit the collar bone of the dummy, nearly an inch above than the target.

"Why don't you show us some of those archery skills, 12?" A voice whispered chillingly in her ear, causing her to jump slightly. It was Cato. She had almost forgotten that he had seen her shoot an arrow the night before.

The scene from the rooftop replayed itself in her mind. Cato, crushing his lips against hers, taking her breath away. The thought should've repulsed her. The memory of his hands brushing against her hips should've made her stomach churn with contempt. Instead, there were butterflies swarming through her chest, dropping into her stomach, stirring lower and lower. She released a shaky breath. His presence was suffocating her.

She spun around, desperately racking her brain for words to deny her dexterity with a bow, when Peeta saved her ass. Again.

_He really needs to stop doing that_.

"Katniss?" he snorted, "She couldn't shoot an arrow if her life depended on it!"

Cato's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Really?" he said gruffly, "I guess I must've been…mistaken." He let his heavy gaze drift between the two of them, before brushing past them. "See you at interviews, Fire Girl."

"What was that all about?" Peeta hissed once the burly tribute was out of hearing distance.

Katniss shrugged nonchalantly, keeping her eyes glued to the floor. "I don't know."

Peeta didn't look convinced but he let her off the hook. The two spent the next few hours practicing snares, quizzing each other over edible plants, and pretending to have meaningful conversations with each other for the benefit of the cameras. They needed to put up the front of a unified district.

Lunch came much too quickly, and the tributes were soon being called by district to enter their private session. Marvel of District 1 was called first, and then Glimmer, and finally, Cato of District 2.

Cato stood confidently, receiving claps on the back from the remaining Careers, and sauntered purposefully past Peeta and Katniss' table on his way out.

"I'll be thinking of you the entire session, Fire Girl."


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N: This chapter took my insanely long and I'm not entirely sure if I like it. Hopefully, you guys enjoy it more than I did!**

**WARNING: Cato may be a little OOC in this chapter. Trust me, I tried my very best to keep him in character but I also wanted to show that he has emotions and feelings, just like any other person.**

* * *

><p>Beauty and the Brute: Chapter Four<p>

"I don't like it," Peeta murmered under his breath, glaring after Cato as he retreated to his private session.

"What?" Katniss asked through a mouthful of potatoes, her eye brows furrowing in confusion.

Peeta sighed, shaking his head, and turned so he was facing Katniss. "I don't like how he looks at you," he whispered, concern evident in his eyes, "Like you're a piece of meat or something."

Katniss frowned, silently wondering if she should tell Peeta about the encounter between her and Cato the night before. She decided against it, since it really was none of his business anyways. "He looks at everyone that way," she replied after a brief pause.

Peeta looked doubtful, "I don't know, Katniss. Just…Promise me you'll watch out for him?"

She stabbed at her lunch with a fork, becoming annoyed by Peeta's protectiveness. "I'm a big girl, Peeta. I can take care of myself…" even as she said it, the image of him tossing her the piece of bread fluttered through her mind, instantly causing guilt to rise in her conscience, "…But if it's really that big of a deal to you, I'll watch out for that monster of a boy."

He chuckled at her choice of words and went back to contently nibbling at his lunch.

Soon, the dining room was completely emptied of the other tributes and only Katniss and Peeta were left. A few minutes after little Rue's exit, Peeta was summoned. He slowly stood and nervously made towards the door.

"Peeta!" Katniss called, the words coming from her mouth without permission, "Remember what Haymitch said about being sure to throw the weights."

"Thanks," he said, "I will. You…shoot straight."

As she watched him leave the room, she could hardly make sense of the words she had said to him. There was no point in helping him. He would be pitted against her in the arena. Then again, if she were to die in the arena, his winning would benefit Prim and her mother the best.

The door to the dining hall swung open, and Katniss half expected it to be Haymitch coming to give her last minute advice. Instead, it was Cato, smirking triumphantly as though he'd already won the games.

"Well, well, well," he said smoothly as he approached her, "If it isn't my favorite little Fire Girl. I thought I'd never get you alone again, with that weakling hovering around you 24/7."

"You shouldn't be in here," she spat at him, her voice dripping with contempt, "And Peeta is not a weakling."

"I do what I want," he retorted as he sunk down into the bench next to her. Reaching his hand out to brush it against her thigh, he continued in a husky whisper, "Including you."

She scoffed in disgust and swatted his hand away. "Please, don't make me lose my lunch."

He set his other hand near the opposite leg and leaned forward intently, "Stop lying to yourself, Everdeen. You know you enjoy this, I know you enjoy this. Why continue with the theatrics? Let's get to the good stuff and maybe I'll consider letting you live a little bit longer in the arena-"

As he spoke, he slid nearer to her, gently tugging at the hem of her pants with his finger. Her hand reached towards his, but instead of pushing it away, she began to tenderly run her fingers over his palm.

"You're right," she hummed softly, "I do enjoy this."

Cato's eyes went from shock to appeasement, "You do?"

She smirked, "Oh yes, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Without warning, she snatched her half-full lunch plate from the table and dumped it onto Cato's lap. She had heaped an excessive pile of food on her plate that day so there had been quite a bit left on her plate. Well, now it was in his lap.

At that exact moment, a voice come over the intercom, summoning her for her private session. Katniss subconsciously thanked the gods for small favors.

"Well, this has been really fun, but I have to go now," she told Cato, darting away from him before he could lunge at her. He remained sitting on the bench, shaking with rage as he scowled at the mess on his pants. Katnisse Everdeen had made a fool of him again.

"BITCH!" he howled, as the door to the lunch hall shut behind her.

Katniss was quivering as she entered the training session. Whether it was in amusement or fear, she was unsure.

* * *

><p>The evening following training sessions was eventful. Katniss and Peeta had both scored extremely well in their training sessions, Peeta receiving an 8 and Katniss receiving an astounding 11. The Penthouse apartment celebrated with a hardy dessert, before dismissing the tributes to their separate rooms.<p>

Katniss laid awake in bed until the late hours of the night, thinking about her family, Gale, and strangely enough, Cato. She couldn't seem to figure out the tribute from District 2. He was huge, brutal, and sadistic, which was expected of a Career. Katniss had always hated the Careers. What type of sick, twisted person would enjoy hunting and murdering other children? And yet, she found herself being unwillingly drawn to Cato. There was something in those eyes of his, bubbling just beneath the surface. Something compassionate, and caring. Something entirely un-Career. She wanted to know what this something was.

As the night turned into morning, Katniss realized she wouldn't be getting any sleep. She climbed from her bed, through a shrug over her nightgown, and quietly slipped out to the rooftop of the apartment building.

It wasn't empty, as she had expected it would be. Cato sat near the ledge of the building, alone. He was leaning over his legs, elbows to knees, with his head cradled in his hands. His body was heaving as he tried to contain his trembling sobs. It was a vulnerable position she hadn't ever expected to see him of all people in. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

Could this really be the same boy that had been continuously harassing her all week? Katniss couldn't figure him out. Only hours ago he had been groping at her in the dining hall and trying to intimidate her. And now, he was sitting on the ledge of the building, looking completely hopeless and…almost adorable. Almost.

As the sun began to rise over the Capitol, she continued to watch the unpredictable Career tribute. She incessantly fought off the foreign urge to run to him and comfort him until he stopped crying. He looked so weak and exposed, and it awoke the motherly instinct in her that only Prim had provoked before. The sound of water running in the room below her broke Katniss from her trance and she realized how much time had passed. Breakfast would be served at any moment, and then she would spend the rest of the day with Haymitch and Effie preparing for her interview with Caesar. She began to pull back into the shadows and make a silent exit, when Cato suddenly glanced over his shoulder. His bloodshot eyes fell on her and for a moment, he looked completely horrified.

This must be the worst thing that could happen to him, Katniss realized. A cold, calculating predator like Cato couldn't possible enjoy being watched in a vulnerable state. The moment he stood from his crouched position and began pacing towards her, Katniss knew she was in trouble. Her eyes traveled to the elevator, desperately searching for an escape. It was only a few yards away. If she moved quickly, she could make it before-

Too late. He had her trapped between his hulking presence and the wall before she even had the chance to flee. He placed his hand against the wall, level with her head, limiting any space for escape.

"You think you're the only one?" he murmured, his eyes narrowing accusingly on her. The steady tone of his voice took her by surprise. She stared back at him, her fear shifting to confusion.

"The only tribute with someone to go home to-" he continued, his face twisting into a painful grimace as he tried to contain his emotions. Emotions were considered a weakness to Careers. "A sibling? A mother? Friends? You're not. I have siblings, and parents, and friends." He pronounced each syllable clearly, as if trying to make her understand, "And you're fucking with yourself if you think you're gonna win this, twelve. You're nothing."

He pulled away abruptly and left, leaving Katniss alone on the rooftop. She leaned against the wall for another few minutes, his words having a deeper affect on her than they should have. With a heavy heart, she made a startling realization. Despite his cruel words, she no longer felt disdain for the brute from District 2. It had been replaced by an overwhelming sense of pity and understanding.


	6. Chapter Five

Beauty and the Brute: Chapter Five

Stylists were flittering around Cato, combing at his hair, brushing powder over blemishes on his face, and plucking stray hairs from his face. Usually, he would be swatting them away. He hated being fussed over, even if it was part of the Games he had worked towards his whole life. Today was different. He was being reasonably complacent as his prep team buzzed around him. His mind wasn't on what he would say during the interview with Caesar, or his strategies for the game. No, his mind was rather occupied with the fiery tribute from District 12.

Katniss Everdeen. Even the mere thought of her name struck a nerve deep inside his chest. He had only known her for three days-though the word known was probably an exaggeration-and yet she made him experience so many different emotions simultaneously. Rage, jealousy, pity. Lust? They had taught him to control these emotions at the Academy in District 2 and he had been fairly adept at containing all except rage. Was this what being a teenage boy felt like?

He was drawn from his musings by the maddening voice of his stylist, Talia. "Black or gold?" she held a black suit and a gold suit up to his chest.

Everyone in the room paused to glance at him with appraising eyes, as if the color choice of his clothing was the most important thing in the world.

"Ahh-Gold! It's so…so bold!" one of the assistants cried out enthusiastically.

"I don't know, black is so much more-"

"No,no,no, black is tacky. Gold will create more of a-"

The room erupted into chaos as the stylist and her assistants argued over Cato's suit.

"Black." Cato barked, reaching the limit of his patience. He snatched the gold suit from his stylists' hands and ripped it in half, ignoring the gaping jaws of the prep team, "Gold will make me look like a pansy ass."

Within the hour, Cato was groomed to perfection and prepared to join the other tributes as they waited for the interviews to begin. He was ushered to a line near the stage, where most of the other tributes were already situated.

"Took you long enough," Clove hissed to him, as he slid in line just behind her, "Getting all prettied up for the crowd?"

Cato snarled, cracking his knuckles portentously at her, "Call me pretty one more time, Clove." He wasn't in the mood for her mocking at the moment.

Delight filled her eyes as she took in his vicious attitude. "Oh-ho, did I hurt little Cato's delicate feelings?"She chirped, pouting her lip sarcastically at him.

He reached up to yank on one of her chocolate colored pigtails when the side stage door flew open and the District 12 tributes quietly slipped in, out of breath. They were late, once again. Cato barely caught a glance of Katniss, draped in an elegant red gown, before the line of tributes was led to sit in an arc around the stage. As Caeser entered center stage and began to warm up the audience with a few lighthearted jokes, Cato thought of his second encounter with Katniss on the rooftop.

It was embarrassing for him, to have been seen in such a vulnerable condition. He had never cried before that night. Never. It had been a moment of weakness for him, one that he hoped would not be found out by others. Somehow, it wasn't surprising to him that Katniss had chosen that moment to show up. It seemed like fate was using her against him to make the Hunger Games even more difficult to win. He couldn't let that happen. That girl, despite the alluring draw she had on him, had to die.

"-Cato Firmus!"

His name echoed loudly from the speakers as Caesar beckoned him to center stage. Cato swaggered to center stage, smirking devilishly to the crowd of Capitolites. The applause was thunderous as the women in the crowd chanted his name.

"Well, well, Cato, looks like you're quite popular with the woman of the Capitol!" Caesar commented, laughing boisterously as the crowd cheered in agreement.

Cato shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm used to it."

"Of course, a handsome devil like you must get plenty of attention from the ladies. Speaking of, did any of the other tributes catch your eye during training?"

"Do the math," Cato responded easily with a charming grin, "You put a handsome guy like me in there with 12 ladies and one of them is bound to catch my eye."

The audience bursted with cheers of excitement at that, though a few women were put out by the possibility of Cato having a showmance.

"Alright, alright," Caesar eased the crowd with a gentle smile, "Now that we know about your skills with the ladies, how about your skills in the arena?"

"I can do just about anything," Cato bragged, "But spears are my specialty. The way they cut through the flesh is so-"he paused briefly, unable to find a word to describe the feeling-"If I need to though, I'll use my bare hands. Anything to win."

Caesar looked impressed. "Quite determined, I see. Looks like we've got ourselves a brute."

Excitement flashed through Cato's blue eyes, "What can I say, Caesar? I'm vicious, I'm ready to go!"

Applause permeates the building as Cato is dismissed from center stage. The people loved him, even more so than Glimmer the slut, Marvel the airhead, and Clove the psychopath. The latter affectionately patted his knee as he took his seat next to her.

"Nice job, pretty boy," she whispered.

They watched the rest of the interviews in silence, evaluating the competition. No one stood out to him from district 3 to 11 until Thresh was called. He was quiet, and his answers were short, but his training score spoke volumes. He left the stage to polite applause and Katniss Everdeen was announced.

As she diffidently stood from her seat and glided to sit beside Caesar, Cato took his chance to fully take in her appearance. She was draped in a red, bejeweled gown that hugged her body, showcasing her slim curves to the viewers. Her hair was in an intricate pattern that wrapped around the left side of her head and fell into a braid on her right shoulder. Cato recalled the first time he had seen Katniss at City Circle, when he had decided that she was pretty, but there were many women in the world that surpassed her. Those thoughts were now mute. Katniss was radiant, the most beautiful woman in all of Panem.

He couldn't bring himself to feel rage or jealousy as he watched the crowd enjoy her, because he was enjoying her too. She enthralled him, with her unique charm. He still wanted to kill her, yes, but he wanted to love her too.

"How pathetic," Clove spat beside him as she watched the girl twirl in circles, giggling along with the audience, "Do they really expect her to live past bloodbath?"

"Don't say that," Cato mumbled absentmindedly, before he could realize what he was saying, "People surprise you sometimes."

Clove turned her predatory gaze on him, aghast. "Did you really just say that?"

"Shut up and watch," Cato commanded as Peeta approached the chair, "If we're gonna let this kid in on our pack we have to see if he's any good."

Clove rolled her eyes, nevertheless following his instructions.

Peeta gave the most entertaining interview of the night. He was good with words, bantering with Caesar effortlessly as the audience watched with hungry eyes. It wasn't until he was asked about his love life that the atmosphere of the room changed. The Capitolites in the crowd were sitting on the edge of their seats with curiosity as Peeta evaded Caesar's question. Cato found himself becoming curious of the answer, as well as slightly suspicious.

"Handsome lad like you," Caeser said as he tried to extract an answer from Peeta, "There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?"

Cato snorted as Peeta finally conceded and admitted to having a crush on a girl who didn't know he was alive until the reaping. How pathetic. The audience was eating it up.

"She have another fellow?" asked Caesar.

"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her," said Peeta.

"So, here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" said Caesar encouragingly.

"I don't think it's going to work out. Winning . . . won't help in my case," said Peeta.

"Why ever not?" said Caesar, mystified.

Cato froze, suddenly realizing the direction this was going. That son of a bitch better not-

Peeta blushed beet red and stammered out. "Because . . . because . . . she came here with me."

The audience was crying, Katniss was shocked, and Cato was ready to snap lover boy's neck. Let the Hunger Games begin.


	7. Chapter Six

A/N: Not my best chapter, I know. I worked kind of hard on it though so I hope you enjoy it. It's lacking a little CATO/KATNISS time but I've made up for that in the next chapter, which I've already finished. I'm planning on posting that one soon if I get a good response to this one. Enjoy! **WARNING: FILLER CHAPTER.**

* * *

><p>Beauty and the Brute: Chapter Six<p>

As the Panem anthem echoed throughout the building, Katniss's grey eyes fell on the main screen. It mapped their every move on stage, focusing in on whichever tributes were demanding the most attention. It was currently focused on Peeta, Katniss, and the few feet of space between them that, in the viewers' eyes, could never be breeched. She scoffed at the naïve, simple-mindedness of the Capitolites. She knew better.

The camera she was glaring so intently at flashed suddenly to show the ruggedly handsome face of Cato, though he looked far more dangerous than handsome. His eyes were black with rage, the hunger to kill, and if one were to glance closely enough, they would see his jaw clenched so firmly that his face was turning red. Something, or someone, had angered Cato. Katniss shuddered, diverting her eyes from the screen. She would hate to have to be part of his district team tonight. Then again, his mentor and district partner seemed more than adept at taking care of themselves.

The crowd prattled out the last note of the anthem and the tributes were ushered off the stage. Katniss was at the front of the line. She wanted to get back to her room as quickly as possible, to escape the embarrassment Peeta had placed on her with his interview. The stylists, mentors, and chaperones were slowed down by an entourage of reporters, so there were only tributes in the lobby. Katniss made a bee-line for an empty car, hoping to avoid sharing a small space with Peeta for the rest of the evening. Fate, it seemed, had a different plan. Just as she reached the elevator door, the sound of a body hitting the floor ensued from behind her.

Curiosity getting the best of her, she whipped around and gasped. Peeta was flat against the ground with Cato, all 220 pounds of him, leaning over him. His district partner had her arms wrapped tightly around his stomach as she exercised all of her strength into holding him back.

"I'll kill him!" Cato thundered, "I'll snap the little fucker in half!"

"Stop it!" Clove shrieked, "Would you use your brain for two seconds and think about what you are doing?"

The other tributes gathered around the scene, Katniss with them. She struggled to the front of the crowd and took a defensive stance in front of Peeta.

It was ironic, she realized, that only moments ago she was imagining doing to him exactly what she was now defending him from.

"What the hell is going on here?" she hissed to Cato, who was attempting to peel a stubborn Clove from his back.

"Nothing, Twleve!" said Clove, malice filling her voice, "Stay out of it!"

"How do you expect me to stay out of it when your district partner's just attacked mine?" Katniss fired back.

Clove rolled her eyes, "He gave him a little nudge. I'd hardly call that an attack."

"It's not my fault that he's weak," added Cato vindictively

"SHUT UP!" Clove and Katniss spat in accordance. The animosity between them intensified, as if the other was at fault for speaking at the same time.

"Look, " Peeta rasped as he slowly rose from the floor, massaging his lower back, "Let's just forget about all this and head back to our rooms before-"

"What is the meaning of all this?"

The shrill voice of Effie Trinkett indicated the arrival of the mentors and escorts. The other tributes scampered off to the elevators with their crews in tow. Haymitch, Effie, and the mentor and escort from District 2 stared at their arguing tributes with stern, disappointed scowls. Katniss gulped, casting her eyes down to the floor as she realized that she and Peeta were in for a long lecture that night.

* * *

><p>"-Can't just go beating up your allies!" Brutus growled as he pushed Cato ahead of him into the District 2 apartments.<p>

"I didn't know he was our ally!" Cato shot back, though that was a blatant lie and he knew it.

"Bullshit!" Clove chimed in while Gloria shut the door behind them, looking ill at ease by the argument going on between her tributes and their mentor.

Brutus turned on her, pinching her ear tightly between his fingers. "Don't even start with me, girl! I saw the way you were going at that District 12 rat!"

Gloria charged between Clove and Brutus, swatting the much larger man away with the back of her hand, "That's quite enough, Brutus! You CANNOT harm the tributes! You must calm down THIS instant-"

"Calm down?" His eyes grew crazed at the suggestion, "CALM DOWN? How can I calm down when these little shits constantly have their heads up their asses?"

Gloria pursed her lips, smearing pink gloss under her lips. "Go to your rooms," she told Cato and Clove in a pinched tone, "Obviously Brutus will not be reasoned with tonight."

"Yes, go to your goddamn rooms," Brutus mocked in a bittersweet tone, "I can't stand the sight of your fucking-"

"BRUTUS!"

"-faces. What? Do you think I give two shits about what you have to say anyways?"

By then, Clove and Cato had abandoned their scowls and were smirking at each other as their mentor and escort argued with each other.

"Feels like I never left home," Clove muttered, giggling at Brutus's obscene hand gestures.

Cato's eyebrow rose, "Are you kidding me? My mom would never talk to my dad that way…Not unless she wanted a serious beating." He said it nonchalantly. Spousal abuse, or abuse of any kind, was pretty normal in 2.

Clove sighed and interlocked her slender arm through Cato's, "C'mon, we have strategy to discuss and obviously, those two aren't going to be much help."

* * *

><p>Cato lay awake in his bed until just before dawn the morning the Hunger Games were set to begin. Clove had been in his room until midnight, discussing strategies and practicing kills. Compromises had been made, many that he had been profusely against. Particularly, the matter of Peeta Mellark being a part of their alliance.<p>

"He's strong, dedicated, AND he'll help us find fire slut," Clove had said when the boy's name had been mentioned.

Cato didn't care if he was strong, or dedicated. He didn't care if the boy could lift twice his weight. It was the latter that truly caught his attention, but not because of the truth in the statement. It was because Cato was betting that, no matter what happened, Peeta WOULDN'T help the Careers find Katniss. Instead, he would lead them away, or cause a diversion .Then, he would most likely sneak off and find Katniss on his own.

Cato would wait for that moment. He would watch Peeta like a hawk until the moment he chose to abandon them. And when the time came, he would follow him. Hunt him down and cut him to pieces in front of his fire girl. Then, he'd take her for himself and enjoy his winnings until the time came for him to kill her and conquer the games. He would get the girl and be the Victor.

He'd left that part out when he was talking to Clove. "What she won't know won't hurt her," Cato grunted as he began to succumb to his exhaustion. He smirked darkly, adding as an afterthought, "Actually, it will. Oh well. You win some, you lose some."


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Since there was such a long wait between chapter five and six, I thought I'd give you guys chapter seven a little early. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Beauty and the Brute: Chapter Seven<p>

_59._

_58._

_57._

_56._

_55._

As the seconds began to tick down, Cato wildly searched his surroundings. All twenty-four of the tributes were standing on metal circles, situated in a ring that surrounded the Cornucopia. Make one wrong move before the gong sounded, and their legs would be blown. They were on a large path of land, a plain of hard-packed dirt. The Cornucopia stood 200 meters away, give or take a few meters. Cato knew could reach it in less than 25 seconds and kill a few of the weaker tributes on the way.

His eyes found Clove, who was keenly facing the direction of the Cornucopia. Being small and fast, she would reach it first. Her goal was to get to the knives and pick off as many tributes as possible before the bloodbath ended.

Glimmer was a few spaces away from Clove, looking impatient as she watched the numbers tick down. Her district partner, Marvel, was standing dangerously near the edge of his plate. He didn't seem to be concentrating on anything, his eyes remaining on the blue sky as the start of the Games drew near. Hopefully, the two of them would get their fair share of kills during bloodbath.

Peeta, who had secretly made a pact with Clove to be a part of the careers during the final day of training, stared intently at Katniss. His eyes sent her a clear message to stay away from the battle at the Cornucopia. Cato knew this should've angered him, especially since Peeta was supposed to be earning their approval, but the thought of fire girl battling it out with Clove at the Cornucopia sickened him.

His attention turned back to the clock as it reached the final countdown.

_5._

_4._

_3._

_2._

_1._

The gong rang out through the arena and suddenly, everything was in motion. It was like they had been on pause for the last minute and someone had finally pushed the play button. Cato sprang into action, ringing the neck of a faceless tribute as he pounded towards the Cornucopia.

The second he reached the horn-shaped structure, a knife was in his hand. With it came a flooding sense of confidence and comfort. He could conquer the world with his knife in hand. Cato had chopped down another tribute within moments of collecting the weapon.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her. She was sprinting towards an orange backpack that another tribute had spotted as well. The other tribute, a boy from District 9, reached the pack the same time as Katniss did. They collided into each other and began to grapple over it. The boy outsized Katniss and had the advantage.

Instinctively, Cato chucked his knife at the boy's neck. It pierced it through the side, causing blood to gush from the artery and splatter Katniss' face with blood. She was frozen momentarily with shock, giving Clove time to advance on her with a knife aimed at her chest. Clove never missed, and Katniss would be dead within seconds. The thought sent Cato into unanticipated panic.

"Clove!" he cried out desperately, causing his district partner to momentarily turn away from her prey. It was just enough time for Katniss to break towards the woods. She was gone by the time the knife left Clove's hand.

Clove turned on Cato with furious eyes. She charged at him, shoving his chest and causing him to stumble back, despite his size, "What the fuck, Cato!" she screamed, "That was my kill!"

He grabbed her scrawny shoulders and flung her backwards. She landed on the grass with a loud thud. "Wrong," he growled, towering over her small form, "We discussed this. Fire girl is my kill!"

Clove laughed hysterically in his face, disbelief dancing through her eyes, "We both know you're not going to kill her, Cato! I saw your eyes-I saw them! You want her."

"Want who?"

Glimmer had chosen the wrong time to join the conversation. She was breathing heavily, a silver bow gripped tightly in her sweaty palm. Her gaze darted between the two Careers, "Who are you talking about?"

"No one, just forget about it." said Cato, shooting a determined glare at Clove.

"Yeah, no one," she agreed sarcastically in a haughty tone.

* * *

><p>By the time night fell over the arena, Katniss had secured herself a tree to sleep safely on. She was high above the ground and shrouded by branches, so if any of the Careers were to come by her hiding place on their hunt, they would most likely pass her by. Though she was unsure of how wary she should be of the careers. Cato was supposed to be the most monstrous of the Careers, and yet he had stopped Clove from killing her back at the Cornucopia. It didn't make sense. Maybe he had further use of her…<p>

She shuddered off the unsettling through and leaned her head back against the tree. After the faces of the eleven fallen tributes flashed in the sky, Katniss dosed off into a light sleep.

"Well look what I found-" the snide, purr of Cato's voice yanked her abruptly from her dreams.

She jumped in alarm as she realized his face was only centimeters from hers. He was standing on the branch just below her, leaning the majority of his weight against the center of the tree. A breathy gasp emitted from her throat as he held a sharp blade to the exposed flesh of her stomach, where her shirt had ridden up in her sleep. The blade was cool against her skin and she had to bite back a groan at the faintly pleasant feeling.

"Miss me?" her pursuer asked in a ridiculing voice as he brushed a tendril of dark hair from her face.

"I've gotten by," she replied, yanking her face away from his groping fingers, "Obviously, you've missed me."

"Don't fool yourself," he chuckled darkly, putting enough pressure on the blade for it to cut into her stomach.

She hissed at the sting, clamping her teeth down on her lip to not give him the pleasure of hearing her scream. "Is that all you've got?" she taunted him.

"Ah, ah,ah," he clicked his tongue at her authoritatively, "You don't get to speak. You have to do what I say, or else-" he waved the blade threateningly toward her to make a point.

Fighting the urge to yell obscenities at the instigator of her torture, Katniss nodded mutely.

Cato's sinister smirk widened and he cupped her chin firmly with his free hand, "Good girl."

With a flick of his wrist, he cut the rope that tied her securely to the branch. It fell, discarded to the forest floor. Holding the blade to her neck, he scooped her up in his free arm and descended the tree.

"We're going to have so much fun, you and I," he whispered provokingly in her ear.

There was an undertone to his words that Katniss didn't like. She began to search her surroundings for means of escape. There was nothing but trees and dirt as far as the eye could see. No one else was around to hear her cries. Then again, who would come to her rescue anyways? The point of the games was for tributes to die. People were hoping for her death and apparently, Cato was about to give them quite a show.

He jumped from the last branch of the tree, landing adroitly on the earthen floor. His clutch on Katniss loosened and she tightened her muscles, preparing to give one last fight. As she moved to spring from his arms, Cato threw aside his blade.

Katniss paused mid pounce, eyes wide with bewilderment, "What are you doing-"

Before the question even left her lips, he had pinned her against the trunk of the tree. He held both of her wrists sturdily above her head in his bulky grasp, restraining further movement.

"Remember what I said, love?" he purred in her ear as he began to place kisses down the side of her neck, "You have to do what I say."

"Stop it," she said, but it sounded weak. He continued to suck on the sensitive skin of her neck, gripping her waist with his free hand.

Her head lolled back as she gave into her pleasure, her body arching away from the tree and pressing into Cato's. His hand traveled up her shirt and cupped her breast, massaging it with expert fingers.

"What was that?" he exhaled huskily between kisses, "You want me to stop?"

"Don't stop," she breathed.

**Snap!**

Katniss was awoken by the sound of breaking branches, with Cato's name still on the tip of her tongue. Her hand was resting a few inches below the hem of her pants, rubbing circles over the sensitive spot between her legs. She was filled with horror as realization struck her. She wanted him, badly. The Girl on Fire wanted the Brute.

"The Capitol will eat this one up," she muttered to herself as the agonized cries of a female tribute reached her ears. There was boisterous laughter echoing from the girl's torturers and Katniss instantly recognized Cato's voice. "A real charmer," she added sardonically, hating herself for the feelings she now harbored for the ruthless Career.


End file.
